Lian Li PC-V360 Review

Table of Contents

Introduction

Let the aluminum do the talking: That pretty much sums up the long-time philosophy of PC chassis maker Lian Li. For decades, the company’s PC cases have been held in high esteem by PC-building enthusiasts both for their use of aluminum as the primary material, and for their handsome, conservative designs. No LED bling, puerile Transformers styling, or plastic accents here: Features and materials carry the day in a Lian Li chassis.

Rarely, the Taiwanese manufacturer takes a flier on a design that doesn’t fit its usual minimalist aesthetic (see, for example, the Lian Li “Cowrie” chassis), but most Lian Li chassis are a cinch to spot at 10 paces. That’s indeed true of the review product we’re looking at here. We got in hand one of the company’s newest cases, the PC-V360, and it’s mostly Lian Li business as usual, just on a slightly smaller scale.

The PC-V360 is a MicroATX midtower that sports an unusual feature for a MicroATX chassis: deep support for enthusiast water-cooling. With the advent of inexpensive closed-loop water-cooling systems from the likes of Corsair, Thermaltake, and many others, water-cooling a CPU has grown into an easily viable option even for casual PC builders. These fully enclosed systems offer the increased cooling benefits of liquid without the headache of sourcing all the gear (hoses, radiators, pumps, and waterblocks) yourself, and hoping that all of your fittings are watertight before that first, tense bootup.

This chassis can accommodate those kinds of sealed-system coolers—crucially, with a 120mm or 240mm radiator. The latter size is seldom supported in a MicroATX chassis. The way it’s done here is by mounting the big radiator on a swinging bracket over the CPU area. Alternately, you can install a DIY 240mm radiator there if you’re into custom, piece-it-together-yourself water-cooling. In short, performance enthusiasts wedded to liquid cooling will find flexibility seldom seen in the MicroATX form factor.

Lian Li put plenty of thought into the PC-V360’s design in other ways, too. You get premium touches such as removable hard drive cages, and the drive-mounting scheme is secure and first-rate. Considering the $139.99 MSRP and the all-aluminum build quality, this is a very solid pick among MicroATX chassis, especially if you’re looking to water-cool in a small space.